The Great Red Sells Golden Brew

Diego Rivera, the great muralist and outspoken Communist, allowed his work to be commissioned by Nelson Rockefeller and advertised by a golden cerveza. Whoever said ideology prevents free thought? Or free trade?

About Steven Heller

Steven Heller is the co-chair of the SVA MFA Designer /Designer as Author + Entrepreneur program, writes frequently for Wired and Design Observer. He is also the author of over 170 books on design and visual culture. He received the 1999 AIGA Medal and is the 2011 recipient of the Smithsonian National Design Award.

5 thoughts on “The Great Red Sells Golden Brew”

Yea.. but before the Rockefeller Center commission was even completed Mr. Rockefeller had it destroyed and after that his considerable money and efforts went into supporting abstract art. Not sure what Rockefeller thought he was going to get for his money but he sure was not happy with the results.

Well, that’s half the story. Rivera painted a mural comissioned by Rockefeller himself. After Rivera included Lenin’s face in it, Rockefeller got the whole thing first covered and then destroyed. Rivera then came back to Mexico City and painted that same mural in the Palace of Beauty Arts, where it still stands today.

This is the first I’ve heard of Rivera accepting payment from Nelson Rockefeller (or from a brewery) for a commission. Regardless, as far as I’m aware there is nothing in communist ideology that disallows, or even frowns upon, being paid for one’s labor. Even communists have to make a living – that is, after all, the starting point for communist ideology.